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By NATHAN HOWELL | Staff Writer

PELHAM – Several guests gathered at 24e Health Club on April 17 to spend a couple hours dancing for a good cause.

According to Libby Schropp, a Zumba instructor for the gym, a group of dance instructors all got together and volunteered their time to lead the dance party, where proceeds would go towards organizations benefitting victims of the recent tornadoes that struck the city.

“It was a wonderful night,” Schropp said. “We got to showcase eight different instructors and the different styles of dance that they teach. We had around 35 people come in, and we were able to raise a little over $300 for the relief effort.”

The dance instructors led their guests through a number of dance styles that the each specialize in such as Zumba, Refit and others. According to Schropp, the guests were very enthusiastic and seemed to really be enjoying themselves.

“Everyone had a great time,” she said. “We had a lot of people asking us when we would do it again. We love that feeling, and are glad to be able to offer that kind of activity for the community. We feel like we need to give back as much as we can especially after the pandemic. Getting people out again is just a really great thing.”

Schropp said that her, the other dance teachers and gym ownership were glad that they were able to provide some measure of help to those affected by the tornadoes, especially considering how close it was to them.

“The impact of these recent storms really hit us close to home,” she said. “The tornado came really close to touching our gym. That made this weigh heavy on everyone’s heart here, and in the community.”

With the success of this event, the gym wants to try and host similar events throughout the year. This is an effort to connect with the community as much as possible, while also doing something good for people in need.

“We are going to try and do some more things quarterly,” Schropp said. “We want to let people know that these events are open to the public. People from surrounding areas like Alabaster, Helena and Hoover are more than welcome to come, and you do not have to be a member. We just want everyone to come together as a community.”